Activities of Alviina ALAMETSÄ related to 2021/2106(DEC)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Union for the financial year 2020, Section III – Commission and executive agencies
Amendments (8)
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Stresses the need to allocate Union funding exclusively to transport projects that fulfil the requirements of a future- proof, sustainable European transport network, in accordance with the Union taxonomy, and consequently to prioritise projects that significantly contribute to reaching climate-neutrality in the transport sector;
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Welcomes the fact that, in 2020, the 2019 multi annual call for proposals under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) was successfully completed, selecting 125 projects with an overall contribution of more than EUR 2 billion; underlines the importance of investing in sustainable transport networks to enable the necessary faster trend in the shift towards more sustainable modes of transport; underlines the target of at least 60% of the CEF2 related expenditure to be unambiguously contributing in reaching the Union climate targets;
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Regrets the low implementation rate of CEF during the 2014-2020 period: calls on Member States to significantly speed up investments, and on the Commission to step up its monitoring in view of the urgent need for infrastructure investment in order to facilitate a swift recovery from the Covid-19 crisis and to lay the groundwork for a transition to more sustainable transport; is concerned that a significant under- execution of payments for transport infrastructure financed by the Cohesion Fund contribution to CEF for 2021 is expected, and that implementation delays and decommitment of funds might occur;
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. Draws attention to the conclusions of European Court of Auditors' Special Report 10/2020, which raise diverse serious socioeconomic and environmental concerns over different transport flagship mega-infrastructure projects across the Union, such as inaccurate estimations regarding traffic forecasts or the cumulative delays, remarkably impacting the related cost-benefit analysis as well as the life-cycle emissions calculations within the 2030 and 2050 horizons; considers that EU transport funding would be more effectively spent, also in terms of climate neutrality contribution, by considerably supporting smaller-scale regional cross-border rail missing links;
Amendment 22 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7 b. Notes that the proportion of high- risk expenditure has grown, as opposed to the previous year, from 53,1% to 59% of all expenditure; stresses that such reimbursement-based expenditures increase the chances and potential impact of related material errors; underlines that this requires complex rules on eligibility and incurring of reimbursement; notes that largest share of these high-risk expenditures take place under Cohesion expenditure (48.8 billion), which is a relevant envelope of for the CEF Transport funding.
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7 b. Requests that the Commission, together with the Court and OLAF, closely monitor the EU transport projects, as public investment in infrastructure is particularly sensitive to fraud; considers this essential not only to ensure transparency that prevents corruption and misuse of taxpayers' money, but also to ensure that the highest safety standards for the users are not compromised;
Amendment 28 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Stresses that the COVID-19 pandemic placed transport and tourism in Union under an unprecedented pressure and welcomes the Commission’s efforts to provide relief to the sectors and financing using the Coronavirus Response Investment Initiatives (CRII and CRII+), CEF, RRF, Cohesion Fund, InvestEU, ERDF; stresses that these funds should be used to rebuild the sectors in a truly sustainable form, adapted to the circumstances of a future-looking climate-neutral European economy;
Amendment 29 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8 a. Reiterates the request for the creation of a new budgetary line for Sustainable Tourism, to support the recovery of a sector severely hit by the Covid-19 crisis by means of a green and digital transformation, making it resilient for the future and compliant with the European Green Deal ambitions; welcomes that in November 2020 the European Court of Auditors launched an audit to analyse tourism projects co- funded with EUR 6,4 billion in 2007-2013 and EUR 4 billion so far in 2014-2020 ERDF and Cohesion Fund money, as well as what the EU is doing to limit the negative impact of the COVID-19 crisis; looks forward still to the final report and its conclusions so as to assess whether EU funding for public investments in tourism was effective and provided suitable support for the sector prior to the pandemic, and ultimately to help improving EU Tourism policies in general;